Obama and Putin call for halt to Syrian onslaught

Photo: Reuters

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Monday for an “immediate” end to the Syria conflict as another 70 deaths were reported in worsening artillery pounding of cities.

The call by the rival powers was made as Russia reportedly prepared to send two warships with marines to its naval base in Syria where UN monitors have suspended their patrols because of escalating violence.

“In order to stop the bloodshed in Syria, we call for an immediate cessation of all violence,” the two leaders said in a statement after meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

“We are united in the belief that the Syrian people should have the opportunity to independently and democratically choose their own future,” the leaders said.

Putin told reporters that he and Obama had found “many common points” on the 15-month-old uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Obama said he and Putin agreed on the need for a “political process” to halt the conflict and had pledged to work with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan on the crisis.

However, there was little sign they had agreed a way to end the conflict, which monitors say has now cost more than 14,400 lives.

The US has voiced frustration at Russia’s blocking of UN Security Council moves against al-Assad.

The US, Britain and France are working on a new UN Council resolution in which they want to threaten sanctions against al-Assad. However, Russia, Syria’s main international ally, and China have already blocked two resolutions, which just hinted at measures.

Russia is preparing to send two amphibious assault ships and marines to the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has a naval base to ensure the safety of its nationals, Moscow news reports said.

The amphibious warships, Nikolai Filchenkov and Tsezar Kunikov, are to be sent to Tartus with a “large” group of marines, Interfax news agency quoted an officer at Russian naval headquarters as saying.

There was no official confirmation of the report by Russian authorities, however.

The Tsezar Kunikov can carry 150 troops and armaments including tanks, while the Nikolai Filchenkov can carry up to 1,500 tonnes of cargo and equipment, the report said.

Interfax said the ships could be used to evacuate Russian nationals.

Syrian government forces, meanwhile, pounded rebel strongholds in the central city of Homs and Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 94 people were killed across the country on Monday, including 63 civilians, three army deserters and 28 government troops.

Government troops stepped up a siege of Tasas in the southern governorate of Daraa, cradle of the anti-regime revolt, the rebel Free Syrian Army said.

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